Supporting the Balefire
by Riset36
Summary: Have you ever tried to rule over the full kingdom of evil fire elementals and to guide them into prosperity and honesty? Quite a task for a 15 years old girl, even if a girl is powerful and awesome Flame Princess, thanks there are always friends to help. If they don't forget to come by... One shot-continuation of my story, An Issue. Takes place after Finn's Dungeon Train adventure.


"Haha, that was fun!" It was already evening of a glob and Finn knows what evening of his dungeon crawl as he finally jumped off the train. Jake left his backpack to him and asked to pick up anything he finds to precious. As it was now stuffed with all kind of gems, weaponry and magic amulets, Finn could think his task was accomplished. "8 days of beating the jam out of all types of morons! I really needed it." Beating monsters is like eating sugar for him and seeing him all trembling, you could say he had had **lots** of sugar recently.

Still, in his happy features a careful observer could see a bit of uneasiness, almost like he couldn't remember something very, very important, something he really shouldn't have forgotten at the first place...

"Oh Glob!" He almost screamed, suddenly remembering. He had forgotten to go see Flame Princess; she could wait for a day or two, but not eight days! And he like totally lost sense of anything while being in that dungeon, sometimes even forgetting his name when he got up after short rests he had started to take in order to not to faint in front of his enemies out of tiredness.

Finn quickly reached his backpack, tossing away loot until he has found a demanded item: phone Jake left him to ring him up in case of emergencies, and Finn couldn't imagine anything being more an emergency than this.

"Jake!" He yelled."I..."

* * *

"... Have a problem! Please, help me, oh Jake!" This one stressed the heck out of me.

"Are you still in that stupid train? Oh, I knew it was wrong idea to leave you there alone! Don't worry, Finn, just try to hold on! Cavalry is coming!" I shouted, trying to cheer him up, while already opening the door. To say it, I didn't really go back to our treehouse: instead I got there for a minute to say BMO I am coming to hang out with Lady. So now I was almost twice farther to that train, and I couldn't choose a wronger time to see Lady even if I really tried it hard.

"You don't get it! This is far more serious! I... Do you remember that letter Flame Princess wrote to me? She asked me to hang out with her for a while in the Fire Kingdom and** that **was eight flippin' days ago!" Oh, this is it? Far less dangerous, but still might get pretty awkward with that 'friendship' thing, if you ask me.

"Relax, bro, that's not a problem." I tried to calm him down. "Flame Princess is mature enough to understand people sometimes get busy; you just need to go there, apologize for being a bit late and she will entirely understand. Or burn you down to a crisp." I added, the last part slightly quieter. Well, there's nobody he could blame aside from himself, cause I didn't know anything about that letter contents and every time I asked Finn about it whilst we were walking towards that weird cave, he only seemed to brighten up a little, saying:"It is a secret.", annoying me and slipping back to his thoughts of spoons and soups.

"I heard everything! And I am not really good at math, but eight days isn't 'a bit'! It's like bazillion of those 'bits' summed up together!"

"Listen, dude, it's not like you have much of choice there. This is kind of problem that can't be solved by waiting, so the sooner you get there and get whatever punishment she chooses, the lesser time we will spend healing you this time. Besides, she might still feel guilty because of that good slam she gave you that time, so she wouldn't kill you immediately. I hope."

"You are not helping! Man, I just want to ask you to go with me, because I feel like I need to be supported this time."

"I am sorry, buddy, but it's like things would get only nastier if I go with you. I was the first she got mad at, remember? And we are trying to stay you alive after your visit, so I just think I wouldn't go to the Fire Kingdom for a while. It looks like you are alone on this one; what does your righteousness say to you?"

There was a brief pause before Finn answered:

"It says I should go. I will phone when I'm finished. Bye, Jake."

"Bye, Finn. " This one is going to be interesting. I almost feel sorry I wouldn't be there. Almost.

* * *

_Eight days. It was eight, globdamnit, days! I am so gonna kill him if he shows up!_ Flame Princess was sitting on her throne, listening to the final visitor for today, almost sleeping when he finished. She leaned over to her scribe, whispering:

"Did you write everything he said?" Having a nod as answer, she said gratefully:

"Good." Then, turning again to her visitor that she had already forgotten who he was because of lack of sleep, announced calmly:

"We will consider of your request." He didn't look convinced, but due to respect of his king, even if she was a 15 years old girl, he bowed and started to make his way towards the exit. When he got out, FP sighed in relief, almost melting into the throne. Literally.

"Having a bad time, my daughter?" mocked her a voice of the most irritating person she has ever known of from above. "Don't you already feel like giving the throne back to me? You know me: generosity in materia, I will gladly accept it while you can go see your friend, mmm, how was his name, Phil, maybe?"

"He is Finn and don't you even dare to remind me of him, Dad!" Flame Princess scowled at the previous Flame King, hanging in that very lantern she was trapped in for almost 14 years. At first, she thought it was a good idea to leave him like that to have some moral satisfaction and scare away any possible idiots that would try to take the throne from her. Well, that part seemed to be working, though a couple of her unsuccessful assassins still had to be thrown into the dungeon to reconsider their chances against her. But no moral satisfaction for good: unable to do anything to his his daughter, Flame King had chosen to mock her and tempt her by leaving her throne back to him. And sometimes his speeches were enticing, just like right now.

_Why didn't he come?_ She thought. First two days she was hopeful, feeling arisen somehow and dealing with her daily king business with delight, being sure Finn would come soon. Next two days she became to be worried of him: Did I really hit him that bad? It didn't seem to be the thing, though, it was just a bunch of second-degree-burns and Finn was coming on another date the day after receiving worse injuries, so she finally figured he is pretty alright, since nobody was going to invite her on his funeral or charge her for hurting him. From that moment she felt only tiredness and utter anger, living on two thoughts: of sleeping and of killing Finn if he shows around. _Is it then?.._

"Hmmm.. Don't you think he could another gal to hang around with, one of those he would be able to hug or even smooch without the threat of burning himself and all of the world around him, huh? Oh my poor abandoned child." Well, former Flame King luckily found the course of FP's thoughts, hitting her where it hurt the most. Or maybe unluckily...

"**That's it!**" she growled lowly, brightening everything with her flames; however, she quickly took control of them, changing her angered expression into calm and turned to another figure, standing in the throne room.

"C-Bun, could you take care of him again, please?"

"Ok." Cinnamon Bun said and smiled happily, walking towards the lantern. There he stood for a while and suddenly said:

"So. What do ya think of spoons?"

"I have already told you I don't know what this 'spoon' thing is!"

Cinnamon Bun looked perplexed for a second, then replied:

"Oh, this is easy. It is the thing you eat with."

Flame King then answered angrily:

"And I eat with my bare hands, consuming everything flammable around me, especially some small annoying candies!"

"But you are the king. You can't eat with your hands, it is against eti... etiq... hmm."

"Etiquette, you lowly peasant!" Shouted former Flame King. "You can't even pronounce the words correctly, how could I stand talking with you?! Daughter, make him stop! Mercy! Mercy on the vanquished!"

Flame Princess, ignoring her fathers pleas, said to scribe:

"You may go now. I will sit there for a while and watch the show." Maybe, there is still some moral compensation after all.

* * *

Finn was walking towards the direction of the Fire Kingdom, hey, that's not much of news. The interesting part was he looked like he was engulfed in flames, and wasn't bothered by it, also. That was one of the tributes he acquired from his crazy dungeon safari, and, as this Fire Cloak had some kind of ptotection against fire ( well, yeah ) on it and no kinds of fireballs could hurt him, it could get in handy. Not like Finn knew where to search for Flambo, anyway and he couldn't delay it more by any means.

Heading right to the domain of King, that was his ex-girlfriend and like really mad at him was scary. Math, who wouldn't be scared by it? Even worse, his brother couldn't come with him, so now he should be going there **alone**.

Being consumed by this kind of thoughts, nobody is able look around pretty well, so you could say Finn was pretty shocked when somebody yelled right from behind:

"Who are you and what have you done to Finn?"

"Aaaaaaaa!" Finn was right on his way performing one of his trend screams, simultaneously drawing out his demon blood sword and the lightning-shaped one and turning around. What appeared before his eyes was nothing but air, filled with laughter that was all familiar to our hero.

"Marceline! Stop using this one, it's not even funny already, it's just math! And stop laughing, just please."

"Sorry for that and for laughing, weenie, but you should have seen your face when I did it!" She said, appearing right from the thick air. Still chocking from laughter, she continued:

"It reminded me of Bonnie's expression when she tried to use that Thingizator on herself: man, Sleepy PB just knocked out the Sciency and the Ruling ones, then turned over to our Bubblegum and said: "Worüber the glob denkst du? Go back to sleep now!" Hahaha, priceless."

Well, Finn couldn't see anything funny in that one, and he didn't have a chance to learn German, but a really idea has just popped into his mind. Or so he thought.

"Hey, Marcy, what do you think of going to the Fire Kingdom and hanging there out for a while?"

"Why so all of a sudden? Because if it's somehow connected with that King gal, I will not agree!"

"But Marceline, I really need you!" Finn almost begged. "She arranged the meeting and I got a little late... eight days late actually."

"Oh man, she will kill you on her sight!" She said, astonished. That didn't help Finn, you know.

"I know it! So, please, could you go there with me and drag away my burning corpse so I could get buried near my, well, mostly your, treehouse?"

"That was tense, Finn, and very emotional. I liked it!" Marceline said, seemingly not taking anything seriously, as she always did. "But just imagine: here you are, heart-broken, sitting on the throne, while your ex got late and when he finally shows around, there is a cool gal by his side. I don't know of you, but I would punch the heck out of them both not even asking any questions. So, thanks but no thanks."

"I don't get the point: why is it a problem to... Oh, I get it now."

That seemed pretty logical to Finn now when he understood, but having his hopes of not facing FP alone crashed yet again hurt a lot. Looking at the Vampire Queen one last time, one last time in his lifetime maybe, he sighed and said:

"So, I should be going now, right? Bye, Marcy."

That one came to her, as she changed her expression into serious one, saying:

"Bye, Finn. And good luck." Then she lightened up again. "By the way, nice magic cloak! The last word in fashion!"

Finn, already starting to walk towards the Fire Kingdom again, yelped in frustration, but choose better not to answer and continue his trip instead, not to prolong it even more.

* * *

"Who are you and what is your business in the Fire Kingdom?" asked one of the guards, yawning, and then added:

"And please, finish this soon, because I am very sleepy. And yeah, you should speak the truth and only the truth as required by our new Flame King."

It wasn't like Finn could lie anyhow to this, but still the compulsion to say only the truth had a lot of pleasure, making him uneasy of it.

"I am Finn the Human, came there in order to see FP, oh, I mean, Flame King."

Surprisingly, both the guard, who asked him before and the one, standing near him, gasped in surprise. They exchanged their looks and then the one, who hadn't spoken yet, said:

"Man, you are very, very late. She's been waiting for you for eight days! You can't even imagine how angry she is now!" Finn was already shaking by this point. But that wasn't the end of it. "You may pass, but I honestly don't know whether you survive."

Now Finn was totally freaked out, but he still managed to say, more to squeak:

"I will go." Then he cleared his throat and said once again, lower:

"I will go."

Flame Guards shrugged, well, pretended to shrug, as they didn't really have strongely-shaped shoulders, and opened the front door of castle. Finn gulped nervously and went inside.

* * *

The throne hall was nearly empty, which was unsurprising, considering how late it had already been. Nobody was there, expect for former Flame King, having passed out, and Cinnamon Bun, dragging the third one left over the floor and mumbling:

"Heavy."

Apparently, Finn could recognize it was FP, seemingly fallen asleep right on the throne. Coming closer, he asked Cinnamon Bun:

"What are you doing?"

It looked like he saw Finn only the moment he spoke, but wasn't surprised anyway. He said:

"Hello, Finn. I am taking Flame Princess back in her bed."

"Do you do it often?"

"Nah. Only last, emm.. eight days."

_Eight days?_ Finn gasped in astonishment. _Stupid jerk, Finn, she's been waiting for you! _

_Probably to kill you on sight._ Said another voice but he quickly shrugged it off.

Right now he could do only one thing to accomplish his righteousness: help Cinnamon Bun to take FP back in her room and then wait outside until she wakes up and does anything she would think to be necessary. That's what he was going to do anyway.

* * *

"Oh, Bun, you were right. She** is** heavy." Groaned Finn as he was dragging FP by her shoulders trough the ladder. Cinnamon Bun took her legs, and so they continued their mischievous trip towards the Flame King quarters. Flame Cloak was surely helping by now, but Finn felt its capabilities had already reached limit when he went into the straight contact with fire elemental. And if she heats up...

Suddenly, it came to Finn what he had just said as he tried to back away:

"I mean she is not heavy, it's just her armor is heavy, though she could use a little more active exercises... Holy mother of Glob! What did I say?!" He exclaimed, punching himself on his face. Cinnamon Bun watched him blankly, but said nothing.

They went on soundlessly a few seconds, before Finn spoke up again, quietly:

"Hey, C-Bun. How is she doing?"

At first he thought Cinnamon Bun didn't hear him and wanted to repeat, but then he finally answered:

"She is tired. And she is bored." After that he smiled and looked straight at Finn. "But she is happy."

Unfortunately, when he looked at Finn, he also missed the right placement on the step and fell down, dragging FP with himself in process. And, of course, it couldn't end anyhow else than for Finn to lose his footing, too, and fall on C-Bun and Flame Princess from atop.

* * *

The first thing she felt was softness underneath. And the first thing she saw was the face of Finn very close to her, surrounded by some sorts of flaming material. A bit too close, as he was lying on her.

Finn feared to move, understanding how dead he is now, instead not trying to move away, entering the condition of shock. Flame Princess too was quite astonished, as the last thing she remembered was her sitting on the throne and, still a little sleepy, she couldn't understand how the flip she ended up there.

Finally, it was Cinnamon Bun who broke the silence:

"Guys. Can you stand up from me?"

Finn reacted momentarily, quickly jumping of the FP's body, with a heavy blush and look of absolute terror on his face.

Shortly after him, Flame Princess stood up, with a deep mark of red on her face, as well. She looked at Finn, once realizing it isn't a dream and said:

"Finn. I am trying to use the presumption of innocence thing I have learned a couple of days before, so that's why you are still alive. Now, if you don't mind, could you tell me: **what the bjork is wrong with you?!**"

Finn appeared to say something in protection of himself but then chose instead to assign:

"It is just I am really dumb."

"Oh Glob I know it! Now tell me in detail why have you ended up, lying on me eight days later after I asked you to visit me." She frowned, blushing lightly again.

* * *

As he finished his tale since the moment Flame Princess bumped onto him ( accidentally ) up to the present time, Flame Princess was yawning widely. Cinnamon Bun left to sleep for a while, saying bye to FP and Finn.

"I am so sleepy I can't even get angry at you. Just go away."

It hurt Finn even more than if Flame Princess would have chosen to fire at him, but he still managed to say:

"Just before I go; why are you so sleepy? Is it that much work? Maybe I could help you somehow."

"Oh no thanks! Don't help me with this one as well." However, seeing humiliated look on Finn's face, she softened a bit, agreeing. "Well, it couldn't hurt much if I show it to you."

With their unplanned journey from the ladder, they ended up in the main corridor, that led back to the throne hall. However, the young ruler didn't choose that direction, instead opening the area of solid wall by chanting runes on it. FP wanted to turn back to see how reacted on it, but then remembered she is still very mad at him and frowned, waving her arm to follow her.

What appeared before their eyes was a spacious room, with endless series of bookshelves. And on those bookshelves lay millions of every inflammable surfaces fire elementals could find to write on. Two nearest cabinets were right in front of Flame Princess and Finn, who stood in awe, gazing all around.

"This is an archive of the Fire Kingdom." Flame Princess spoke up. "Each of those cupboards is dedicated to a certain ruler of this Kingdom, which as I understood, started up 700 years ago. The greatness of the number is because rulers in our kingdom were changed quite often, for the reasons of assassinations, loses of wars with another kingdoms and... being overthrown by their children. The left one, half-empty, is my father's." She sighed. "And I will so only need the second one. Nearly nobody of my ancestors cared of local folk around them, and if I want my people to live happily, I should not only make them speak truth, but solve their problems, I suppose."

She then continued:

"I still don't get many things about 'ruling the kingdom' and there are some problems with helping my subjects, because Flame Guards are taking things wrongly sometimes. Couldn't send them on diplomatic missions or to retrieve any precious but fragile items, and there are several monsters they don't know how to fight."

At that point Finn came up:

"So why don't you ask me?"

Flame Princess replied:

"I would have never asked you such a thing. This is my kingdom, my problems; besides, aren't you helping that pink lady already?"

"Her kingdom isn't such a mess right now. So I could actually take a week off to help my friend out."

Flame Princess thought for a moment, then nodded:

"It could work. So, there is a Waterdhavian dragon nearby, scaring my citizens, quite tough one, as they told me. Oh, and I need an ambassador to the Rock Kingdom, somebody less fiery. And..." As she went on explaining the stuff she needed, Finn couldn't help but think: _What the heck did I just drag myself into? _But when he looked back at FP's face, he found a few things that hadn't been there a moment before: joy and happiness, that she could share some of her problems with somebody. And there was hope.

"Could you help me with these ones, Finn?" She asked him finally.

In response, he bowed deeply and said:

"At your service, Your Majesty."

* * *

I said goodbye to my Lady and chose to wait my brother in our treehouse, as I hoped he would return there eventually. **If** he returns.

But time passed and Finn didn't come, didn't phone or anything.I was starting to worry, making a move to go search Finn in the Fire Kingdom, but I didn't know where to find Flambo, and without him I could only run around the borders of Fire Kingdom, which wouldn't help Finn anyhow.

Finally, he phoned:

"Hey Jake, I don't have much time, so I will make it quick: don't wait for me to return until the next week. Or maybe two. I will help FP there with some hero stuff, and then I will come back. Bye." and then he just cut off the line.

I smiled widely, relaxing. That's my brother, natural lady charmer!

* * *

**Hey people, 'sup? Here are some things I want to tell you, as always:**

**1. Nope, this isn't an AU, where Finn stays in the Fire Kingdom, marries FP and becomes the new King, I am trying to stick on the original AT show plot as much as possible, so he will return, as he said, right the day before 'Box Prince' will start.**

**2. Sorry for writing it that long, I was just editing and reediting, watching carefully, so I wouldn't end up writing three 'rights' in one FP's letter. ( I have fixed it up, though.)**

**By the way, I don't own AT show. **


End file.
